경항통 환자에 소염제통약침 치료 : 후향적 사례 시리즈

Treatment of Neck Pain with Anti-inflammatory & Pain relief Pharmacopuncture (PU-SY): A Retrospective Case Series

Objectives This is a retrospective case series exploring the therapeutic effect of combination treatment of anti-inflammatory & pain relief pharmacopuncture (PU-SY) and manual acupuncture for nonspecific neck pain. Methods The medical records of 10 patients with nonspecific neck pain were retrospectively reviewed and their demographic and clinical characteristics recorded. The disability and pain intensity of the neck pain were measured using Neck Disability Index and 100mm pain VAS. The improvement was analyzed retrospectively to evaluate the feasibility of combination treatment of PU-SY pharmacopuncture and manual acupuncture. Results 10 patients who met the eligibility criteria received combination treatment of PU-SY pharmacopuncture and manual acupuncture. There were significant reductions in the disability (P < 0.05) and pain intensity (P < 0.01) in patients who received an combination treatment. Particularly, patients with a relatively short period were more effective in improving pain and function. Additionally, no adverse reaction such as pain, swelling, or itchiness at the treatment site related to pharmacopuncture treatment were found. Conclusions This study raises the possibilities of combination treatment of PU-SY pharmacopuncture and manual acupuncture or the improvement of function and pain management in patients with nonspecific neck pain. In light of these promising results, there is a need to evaluate the safety of PU-SY pharmacopuncture liquid consisting of complex preparations through basic experiments. Moreover, future studies with attention to appropriate patient selection, guidelines for pharmacopuncture treatment, and optimal standards for outcome measurement are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of PU-SY pharmacopuncture.